Fast food associated with childhood asthma

Children who frequently eat fast food are far likelier to have severe asthma compared to counterparts who tuck into fruit, a large international study published on Monday said.

Children who frequently eat fast food are far likelier to have severe asthma compared to counterparts who tuck into fruit, a large international study published on Monday said.

... fast food was the only food type that could be clearly linked to asthma severity. Three or more weekly servings of fast food were associated with a 39-percent increase in the risk of severe asthma among teens and a 27-percent increase among younger children. It also added to the risk of eczema and severe rhinitis. In contrast, eating three or more weekly portions of fruit led to a reduction in symptom severity of between 11 and 14 percent, respectively. The study, which appears in the British Medical Association journal Thorax, noted that to prove an association is not to prove a cause—but argued that a further inquiry was clearly needed.

Previous research has found that the saturated and "trans" fatty acids trigger an inflammatory response from the immune system, the paper noted. [emphasis mine]